


Together

by BlackKeys09



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Anxiety, Best Friends, Betty makes pot brownies, Bughead Stoner AU, Comfort, Dirty Talk, Domestic Fluff, Drinking Games, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Friendship, M/M, Medicinal Drug Use, Panic Attacks, Recreational Drug Use, Smut, Stoner babes, They love Broad City, They're just trying to get by, We're in Canada baby, and Parks and Rec, chosen family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:20:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24040468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackKeys09/pseuds/BlackKeys09
Summary: Best friends and roommates Betty, Cheryl and Kevin are stressed as hell. Having graduated and entered the work world, they're quickly finding out that being an adult isn't all it's cracked up to be. Together, they try to navigate a post-university world, finding solace in weed, baked goods, and each other.Basically, my fave stoner babes are just trying to get by. This is pure domestic fluff, my friends.
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz, Fangs Fogarty/Kevin Keller
Comments: 12
Kudos: 34





	1. Baking, Broad City, and Blanket Forts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well! Here we are at my first fic. It has been years since I've written anything, but I've been so inspired by the Stoner AU fics that have been popping up lately (thank you stonerbughead and literatiruinedme) that I decided to dust off ye ole writing fingers and see what I could come up with. They say to write what you know, right? So here we have besties living in London, Ontario (oh yeah, we're in Canada, baby), smoking weed, loving each other fiercely, and just trying to get by in a weird post-university stage of life. 
> 
> Completely un-beta'd so all mistakes are mine! I also know nothing about working at a theatre (Kevin) or for a magazine (Cheryl), so let's just pretend that what I wrote here for them makes sense, yes?
> 
> Enjoy, and please be gentle!

“Juggie?” Betty called lightly over her shoulder, “can you add brown sugar to the list please?” 

“Of course, Betts,” he replied, stopping to kiss her gently on the temple as he walked over to the fridge. He quickly scrawled the addition onto the magnetized note pad that holds the house’s grocery list before heading back to sit by his laptop at the kitchen counter. 

“Ou, and what are we stress baking today, Betty dearest?” Betty jumped, not having heard Cheryl walk into the kitchen to peak over her shoulder.

“Ugh, please stop calling it stress baking, Cheryl.”

“What do you want me to call it? We already have cinnamon buns, scones, and brownies.” Cheryl’s face softened, noticing Betty deflate a little as she paused her mixing. Cheryl stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Betty’s shoulders from behind. “We’re at a very weird time in our lives, Betty Boop. For the first time ever, we're not students, we’re supposedly starting careers, and we’re discovering that maybe the work world isn’t quite what we imagined it would be. If there was ever a time for stress baking, it’s now. Plus you know my TT has a sweet tooth and adores your delicacies, so I’m not complaining or judging. I’m simply making conversation.” 

Betty leaned back to rest the side of her head against Cheryl’s, closing her eyes momentarily as she took a deep, cleansing breath. 

“Double chocolate, walnut cookies.” 

“Did I hear someone say double chocolate?” Kevin’s head popped out of his room slightly down the hall from the kitchen, before walking over to join the rest of the group, lit joint in hand. 

Cheryl laughed, squeezing Betty one last time before pulling away to address Kevin. 

“Yes, you little mooch, you most certainly did. Our Betty-kins is doing some more decidedly not-stress-baking. She could probably use a hit of that,” she added quietly, gesturing to the joint in his hand. 

Cheryl and Kevin shared a look of concern over their roommate before he walked over to tap Betty on the shoulder, holding out the joint with a raised eyebrow. 

“Oh God, yes, please! One second!” Betty put down her mixing bowl and wooden spoon before washing the flour and cocoa powder off her hands. She dried them quickly and accepted the joint. She took a deep drag, feeling the tension leave her shoulders as she tilted her head up and exhaled slowly, watching the smoke leave her mouth. “Okay fine, maybe I’m stress baking!” She exclaimed, taking one more hit before turning to face her friends and passing the joint back. “But work has been so slow lately it’s basically non-existent. And when I’m not at work I have absolutely nothing to do and it’s driving me nuts. Time is beginning to lose all meaning!” 

Betty had been working as a substitute teacher in London, Ontario for a year and a half now, filling in for various High School teachers around the city. Normally she didn’t mind the work. She worked most of the week but could take days off whenever she needed, she liked meeting new staff and students, and she especially liked not having to do hours of prep in the evenings and weekends. But this past year, with teachers around the province going on strike, work had been slow. Very slow. She had always been the type of person to thrive under pressure - the more she had to do, the less time she had to procrastinate after all. But now that she was no longer a student and, therefore, didn’t have several assignments to work on at any given moment, she was finding all of this free time extremely anxiety-inducing. 

“Ugh, do you want to trade places with me?” Kevin asked, sighing loudly. “We’re ramping up for all our summer shows at The Grand right now and all these design sessions are starting to blur together.”

“How _have_ those sessions been going, Kev?” Jughead chimed in. He liked to give the roommates and best friends as much time to themselves as he could, seeing as how he had basically moved in, during the two years he and Betty had been dating. Their house was distinctly more homey than the tiny, cramped two-bedroom he (technically) lived in with Toni. His apartment was ideal due to its location on a side street close to Western’s main campus where he went to school to complete his Honours in Creative Writing. It was, however, decidedly less well-stocked in baked goods and beautiful girlfriends, so he tended to spend the majority of his free time at their house. But he hadn’t heard too much about Kevin’s work lately and figured this was a good time to join the conversation now that the focus was off of Betty’s stress baking.

“They’re going well, I suppose! This time of year is always crazy because the Spring shows are just ramping up and the crew needs to be working on those while prepping for the upcoming Summer season as well. Not to mention the fact that us drama folk tend to be, well…dramatic.” The group laughed in agreement, listening to Kevin’s rant about the local theatre where he worked as Creative Director as they passed the joint around the kitchen. “It’s just frustrating. I know I’m new to this position, but I feel like because I’m young a lot of the more…experienced, shall we say...crew members feel like my opinion isn’t valid. Even though I worked there part-time all through college and have been in the arts my entire life! I’m the one who’s supposed to be running the show here, people!” 

“I wish I didn’t know how you feel,” Cheryl added, “but unfortunately I get a lot of the same attitude in my job as well. And I don’t even have to see these people in person very often!” Kevin held his arms out in invitation and Cheryl sat down on his lap, snuggling into his chest as she sighed and pulled out her phone. Cheryl worked remotely for Dress to Kill (more commonly referred to as DTK in their household), a Canadian fashion magazine. She had been hired a few years ago as one of the fashion writers but had since realized that her actual dream in life was to open up her own clothing boutique. Since all her work was online, Cheryl was able to stay in London and only visit the physical offices in Montreal a few times a year - a set up that worked particularly well for the fiery redhead, as she spent as much time as possible working on her own designs these days. 

Betty and Kevin grew up in a small town called Riverdale, but moved to London together for their Undergrads and immediately fell in love with both the city and Betty’s new assigned roommate, Cheryl. The three quickly became inseparable, sharing countless joints as they bonded over moving to a new city, a common taste in music, and their quick-witted humour. Though they were as different as they come, something about their friendship just worked, and they quickly became each other’s family in London. 

Betty smiled at her besties snuggling up before snuffing out the now spent joint and turning back to her cookie dough. Jughead unplugged his headphones from his laptop, letting Leon Bridge’s crooning voice fill the kitchen before he made his way over to Betty. She was now portioning out spoonfuls of the chocolatey dough onto a baking sheet. He reached forward to snag a clump of cookie dough but wasn’t quite quick enough.

“No,” Betty laughed, as she moved the bowl away from Jughead’s nimble fingers. “This first batch will be done in 15 minutes! You, sir, can wait.”

“But I’m hungry,” he whined, pouting at Betty in the adorable way he knew she couldn’t resist. He sidled up behind her, pressing his front against her back gently and letting his fingers trail from her hands up to her shoulders. He felt her relax against him as he slowly massaged her shoulders and neck.

“Fine,” she relented. “You may have the spoon. But that’s all you get until they’re cooked!” Jughead smiled happily before grabbing the spoon and leaning back against the counter to stay out of her way while he enjoyed his treat. 

From the moment he saw Betty as she shelved books at Weldon, one of the several libraries at Western, he was gone. He quickly found more and more excuses to spend time at the library and to ask his favourite blonde circulation desk clerk questions while he worked up the nerve to ask her out. An answering smile, rosy blush, and quiet “I’d love to” were her response, and they’ve been together ever since. Though he started at Western several years after Betty and co., he had taken a few years off of school to save up money in the hopes of being able to put himself through uni without incurring too heavy of a student loan. So they were all around the same age even though he was still in school while the others had entered the work world. 

Jughead had moved to London from Ottawa with his best friend Toni after they both worked their asses off to save money and get the hell away from their troubled upbringings. When he started dating Betty, he was quickly brought into the fray of her little London family, and, being the introvert that he is, often brought Toni along as an emotional buffer. Little did he know that Toni would be as equally entranced by Betty’s fiery bestie as he was with the blonde! Their romance took a little longer to develop, Cheryl having been hurt in the past and a little hesitant to let anyone in romantically, but eventually she couldn’t help herself, and the self-proclaimed iconic celeb couple “Choni” was born. 

So now all five of them were essentially living in the three-bedroom house East of Adelaide (EOA as the locals called that part of London). Jughead and Toni still had their apartment, of course, but Toni spent most nights at the house anyway, and now that school had finished for the year, Jughead was spending more and more time there as well. It was a little cramped, but they were pretty good at giving each other space when needed, and, small squabbles aside, were cohabiting quite seamlessly.

Jughead had since returned to his laptop and was typing away, as usual. Cheryl and Kevin were cuddled up and scrolling mindlessly on their respective phones, and Betty was putting two trays of cookies into the oven. She suddenly shut the oven door, jumped up, and turned excitedly towards Cheryl, who hardly looked up from her phone before addressing the blonde.

“Yes, Betty Boop?” 

“What time is Toni getting off work?” She dusted her hands off on the pair of mom jeans she was wearing with an old, comfy band tee, bouncing on the balls of her feet while she waited for a response.

“She’s working the early shift today, so she should actually be home in an hour or so! What’s cooking in that beautiful, little brain of yours?” 

“BCBF night, anyone?!” Cheryl gasped in delight at the suggestion and jumped off of Kevin’s lap. She kissed Betty on the cheek and turned back to her phone.

“Betty dearest, you are a genius. I’m texting TT the plan right now. Should we ask her to bring back some food for dinner so we don’t have to order any later?” Toni worked at Los Lobos, their favourite Mexican restaurant in town, and it was not uncommon for the group to send in last-minute orders for Toni to bring home.

“Absolutely, yes. Do we want to just get the 40 dollar nachos? And maybe a selection of tacos to share?” Betty asked, smiling at the look of excitement that made its way onto Cheryl’s face. It was Kevin’s turn to gasp in excitement at the mention of his favourite giant plate of nachos, nodding his agreement to the group. 

“Ask for a blackened fish burrito with crema for me please,” added Jughead, who had quickly fallen in love with the restaurant when Toni started working there. 

“Betty you have officially turned this day all the way around. Double chocolate cookies, nachos, and BCBF? What did we do to deserve you, you rainbow-infused space unicorn!” Kevin exclaimed. “Should I spark up another joint in celebration? Does anyone have anything else they actually need to accomplish today, or can it officially be the weekend?” 

As they all agreed that the workweek was indeed over, Jughead pulled a pre-rolled joint out of the pocket of his flannel. 

“I’ve got us covered for now,” he said, passing the joint to Kevin, who was sitting closest to the lighter and ashtray they kept in the kitchen. “And beautiful use of a Leslie Knope compliment, by the way, Kev. But I’ve got to ask, what in the hell is BBCF?” 

“It’s BCBF, Juggie,” Betty corrected, laughing. “I’m honestly shocked you’ve never heard me mention this before! It stands for Broad City Blanket Fort! The best cure for a less-than-optimal day, or in my case, several months.” 

“Yes, Beanie Boy,” continued Cheryl, “BCBF nights are a long and storied tradition in our household. Whenever any of us has a particularly gruelling time, we build a blanket fort, cuddle up together, and essentially hot-box the fort while we let our girls Abbi and Ilana distract us from our real lives. It’s therapeutic.” 

“It’s iconic,” added Kevin, lighting up the joint, taking a hit, and passing it to Cheryl.

“It’s one of our favourite bonding activities,” finished Betty with a fond smile. 

“Okay I knew about your love of Broad City obviously, but I didn’t realize there were blanket forts involved! I agree that’s pretty iconic,” the others nodded their assent. “But I do have one question,” Jughead said, waiting for Betty to give him a nod before continuing. “Can we bring cookies into the fort?” 

“Oh sweet Jughead,” Kevin laughed, “BCBF nights always include stuffing our faces. Not only can you bring the cookies in, but we will undoubtedly be bringing in an entire selection of the treats that Betty has been not-stress-baking,” he winked at Betty as the joint came back around to him.

“Okay, folks! Our order is in and my beautiful TT is justifiably excited, though I had to explain the concept to her as well. I am beyond flummoxed that neither of you has heard of this tradition. You’ve been part of the group for over two years now, this is not a new thing!” Cheryl exclaimed. 

“Well, we’re rectifying the situation tonight. You shall both be brought into the hazy, comforting sanctum that is BCBF,” Betty smiled over at Jughead. 

When the timer on her cookies went off, Betty quickly shooed Jughead away with a kiss, instructing him to gather up as many blankets and pillows as he could find while the cookies cooled and she put in the second batch. 

* * *

In the years since the trio became friends, they had made countless blanket forts. Though Broad City only got added to the equation after the series ended and they were able to binge the show via a shared DVD box set, the tradition of smoking and cuddling in blanket forts began early in their friendship. It was a way to block out the world, indulge in the intimacies of their found family, and relax while they endured the pressures of school and life in general. As such, they had fort building down to a science, and even knew how to rig in fairy lights and flat surfaces for snacks. That being said, on this particular night, they collectively agreed it was probably best to eat their Mexican food before assembling the ceiling of the fort so that they could sit upright and give their blankets a fighting chance at staying clean. So when Toni arrived home, they gathered in the living room, ate their food, and caught each other up on their days before settling in for the evening. 

“In honour of it being our SO’s first BCBF night, may I suggest that we start from the beginning? Ease our beloved into the tradition with Season 1, Episode 1, _What a Wonderful World_?” Cheryl began, easily taking charge of the situation. 

“Okay, I am 100% on board with starting from the beginning. It’s been ages since I started a full re-watch of Broad City, but what on Earth is an SO and why am I one of them?” Jughead questioned, looking around to see if anyone else was as confused as he was. Kevin immediately rolled his eyes. 

“Jughead, are we not the same age? Do you not exist in the same modern world that we do? How do you not know that SO stands for Significant Other? Sometimes I swear you must be from another planet, dear woollen one,” Kevin replied, referencing the knitted, crown-shaped beanie that rarely left his head. Jughead shrugged before turning to Betty.

“Remind me to just ask you these things quietly from now on,” he whispered to her. Betty giggled and nodded, then cupped her hand around his cheek for a quick kiss. 

“Now that _someone_ ,” Cheryl paused dramatically before continuing, “has been brought up to speed, may we begin? Jughead, since you’re the bottomless pit would you mind assembling a tray of Betty Boop’s delicacies? TT can you get the DVD ready and grab the weed? We will need both joints and a pipe in order to properly haze up the fort. I will finish assembling the fort with my sweet Kev and Betty-kins and we can all meet back here,” she finished with a flourish. 

“Oh my god, pause!” Kevin exclaimed. “Can you and Betty finish the fort on your own? Obviously Los Lobos wouldn't let us order their delicious peach margaritas for takeout, but I just remembered we have frozen margarita mix in the freezer and I can think of no better occasion than now to bust that open!” 

“Yes, yes, 100% yes. You shall be in charge of beverages then,” she waved him off with a smile before turning back to Betty. “Shall we, my dear?”

Toni quickly set up the DVD before running to Cheryl’s room to grab papers and Fabiola, Cheryl’s bright red glass pipe. At Betty’s prompting, she rolled two joints and packed a bowl with the communal weed before helping the ladies finish assembling the fort. By the time the boys returned with margaritas and baked goods galore, a fort unlike anything Jughead had ever seen had materialized in the living room. Kevin smirked at Jughead.

“Welcome to BCBF, my friend!” He passed the tray of margaritas to Betty who positioned them carefully on a flat surface near the tv before crawling into the space between Betty and Cheryl and getting comfortable. After taking a moment to marvel at the care and creativity with which Betty and her friends approached every situation, Jughead followed suit and passed the snacks to Cheryl, then cozied up on the other side of Betty, stretching out with his arm around her waist and a grin on his face.

“Okay, I’ll say it. This is amazing!” Toni squealed, climbing onto Cheryl’s lap and stretching her feet out across Kevin and Betty. 

“Agreed. You guys really are something else,” Jughead nodded with a grin. “Now someone pass me a joint and let’s get this party started!” 

The group quickly fell into the cozy atmosphere, munching on snacks, laughing at the show, and quoting their favourite lines. 

As she let herself ease into the hazy comfort of her friends, Betty threaded her fingers through Kevin’s, snuggled further into Jughead’s chest, and sighed happily. 

“I needed this. You guys are the best,” she said softly, smiling at each of her friends in turn.

“I think we all needed this,” Toni added, grabbing another cookie and settling back in.

Jughead felt a deep sense of contentment as he rested his cheek on the top of Betty’s head. Never before had he felt so at home, so like he belonged, as he did with this particular group of people. He shifted so he could whisper in Betty’s ear. 

“Thank you for letting me be a part of this, Betts.” She turned to gaze up at him, a smile breaking onto her lips at the look of love she found in his blue eyes. 

“Always,” she whispered back, leaning up to kiss him softly. 

Betty could worry about the future and the state of her bank account another time, for now, she was happy to bask in the warm cocoon of smoke, food, and her found family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was that? Do we feel comforted? Because I feel comforted. The world is insane these days, y'all.
> 
> This was initially going to be a one-shot, but as I sat down to write, all sorts of backstories started popping up in my head and I just went for it. I tried to build the world a bit and give some context, but also make it able to stand on its own. If people like this and/or I feel inspired then I will definitely add to it. Maybe write how the trio became a trio? Or how Bughead/Choni got together? More fun roomie traditions? Jughead getting hot and bothered watching Betty do her daily yoga? I'm open to suggestions! 
> 
> Let me know what you think!  
> xoxo E


	2. Texting, Teasing, and Trivia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I going to regret this triple alliteration title tradition I've started? Probably. Am I going to continue it anyways? Absolutely. 
> 
> This chapter picks up exactly where we left off! Stoned in a blanket fort, living the life.
> 
> I decided I wanted to include some solo Bughead in this chapter and things got...kinda kinky? Almost immediately? I dunno where my mind is at these days, y'all, but I ran with it. This was also my first time writing smut, so be gentle, please! Tags have been appropriately updated (I think so anyway, I'm honestly still trying to figure this stuff out).
> 
> Anywho...On with the show! Totaly un-beta'd so any and all mistakes are mine!

From Toni’s perch on Cheryl’s lap in the blanket fort, she had an unencumbered view of Kevin, who had been texting away on his phone all evening. She smiled to herself, pretty sure she knew who he was chatting with and wanting to cause a little mischief.

“Hey, Kev?” He didn’t even look up from his phone, simply muttered a “hmm?” as his fingers moved quickly over the screen. “Do you plan on engaging with us this evening, or are you too busy flirting with your soon-to-be boy toy?” 

Toni laughed as Kevin gasped, Cheryl grinned, and Betty immediately paused Broad City to turn and give her friends her undivided attention. Just the mention of gossip was enough to bring the group out of their stoned haze.

Kevin narrowed his eyes at Toni. “What do you know, Topaz?” 

“Oh, not much,” she laughed. “Just that a certain Mr Fogarty was in a similar state of distraction all shift at work today. Sweet Pea would have smacked him for continually messing up orders had it not been for the sickeningly adorable way that Fangs kept trying to stop himself from smiling at his phone.” Kevin grinned through his slight blush.

“Okay, you caught me! Yes, I’ve been texting Fangs!” Betty smiled warmly at him, grabbing his hand with both of hers. 

“Things are going well then?” she questioned. Kevin nodded enthusiastically. It seemed he had been waiting for an opportunity to gush because he could hardly get the words out quick enough now that he had started.

“Ugh, he’s just so sweet! And he thinks I’m hilarious, so you know I am absolutely living for that,” the group laughed gently at Kevin’s antics as he continued. “Not to mention how _cute_ he is! Is he kidding me with that beautiful, toned body of his? I think I’m going to ask him out. Is that too soon?” 

Cheryl cut in as Kevin finally stopped to take a breath. “Kev, that boy has been quietly crushing on you since day one. Ask him out,” she stated confidently. He nodded then paused and looked back at Toni.

“And you’re sure it wouldn’t be weird if I started dating your co-worker?”

“Absolutely not,” she replied, shaking her head. “Honestly, he and Sweet Pea are great. I’ve been meaning to invite them to come hang with the crew more often anyways.”

Toni had been regaling the group with stories of her favourite co-workers, Fangs and his best friend Sweet Pea, basically, since the moment she started working at Los Lobos. Fangs had been in charge of training Toni, and the pair had quickly taken her under their wing. They showed her the ropes, let her know which managers were lenient, and invited her out with other co-workers so she got a chance to know everyone outside of work. They had quickly become good friends of hers, but Toni had only brought them to a few hangouts so far. Fangs had sheepishly asked Toni for Kevin’s phone number about a week earlier, and she was thrilled to see it was working out well so far. 

A gasp from Betty had everyone turning to her in surprise. Jughead let out a chuckle and smiled warmly at his girlfriend.

“Are we about to hear another brilliant Betty idea?” She grinned back at him.

“Well, you guys will have to be the judge of how brilliant it is, but I do have an idea.”

“Oh Betty-kins, quit being so modest,” Cheryl replied, rolling her eyes playfully. “Lay that brilliant brain baby on us.”

“Okay. So you know how the other day I was complaining about missing our old trivia nights?” The group murmured their remembrance. Western’s on-campus bar hosted a trivia night every Thursday, and while they were students, the group had gone almost every week. Now that most of them were out in the work world and had to be up for work Friday mornings, however, they hadn’t been attending. It had been the perfect excuse for their friend group to get together, have a couple drinks, and unwind a little, and Betty had been exceptionally nostalgic for those days recently. 

“What if we made our own? I can come up with the questions and make answer sheets and everything. And we can invite Fangs and Sweet Pea!” 

There was a quiet pause before Toni broke the silence. “Okay, so yes then…Another brilliant Betty idea! I am so in.” 

“Agreed,” added Kevin. “But can I request that it be after I have a chance to go on a date with Fangs? I’d like to have an opportunity to charm him a bit before he sees my competitive side.” Cheryl laughed and patted his arm, knowing all too well how competitive Kevin could get when it came to trivia. 

“Of course! It will take me some time to get it all ready anyways,” Betty agreed. “Why don’t we see if everyone would be free next Friday? That should give us both plenty of time!”

As everyone settled back in to watch the show, Betty couldn’t help but smile. She knew it was kind of silly to be this excited for a simple evening of trivia, but having zero to accomplish every day was weighing on her. Making the trivia rounds would expend at least a few hours of brainpower, so it was something to look forward to. Not to mention it would be an opportunity to spend the evening with her friends and to get to know Sweet Pea and Fangs a little better as well. Kevin was right, this day really had turned around.

* * *

When Jughead walked down the stairs a few days later he looked out the back door to see Betty in the middle of the yard working on her trivia questions on a soft, blue blanket. They were finally getting a sunny Spring day and Betty was laying on her stomach, her long legs swinging up and on display in the loose, buttoned, t-shirt dress she was wearing. His eyes traced the soft curve of her calf, the dip of her spine, paused to notice the way her loose braid fell against her neck, and finally came to a stop on her face. He smiled at the look of concentration he found there and made his way over quietly. 

Betty heard the rustle of grass and looked up to see a smiling Jughead coming her way. He sat down beside her on the blanket and looked over.

“You think you could take a break from that, Betts?” 

“Gimme two minutes to fact check this answer and then I’m all yours,” she replied, flashing him a smile before turning back to her screen. 

He laid down on his back beside her, spreading out with his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes and marvelled at the feeling of the sun on his face after such a long winter, waiting until he heard the sound of her laptop clicking shut before turning his head to face her and opening his eyes.

“It’s so nice out today, isn’t it?” She asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the peace of the moment. He hummed softly, then shifted up onto his elbows so he could lean forward and press his lips gently to hers. 

“My new plan for the afternoon is officially to lay here with you,” he replied. She gave him one more peck before sitting up, crossing her legs, and shifting so he could lay with his head in her lap. 

“Music?” Betty asked. She felt him nod against her legs in response and grabbed her phone to let the soothing sounds of Angus and Julia Stone fill the air. Betty leaned back to find the joint, lighter, and ashtray she had brought out earlier, bringing them over so they could smoke. They passed the joint back and forth, chatting lightly about possible music theme rounds for her trivia night and enjoying the sunny afternoon. 

About halfway through the joint, Betty pulled off Jughead’s beanie and started running her fingers through his hair, gently scratching his scalp. He let out a groan at the sensation, his eyes drifting closed as he succumbed to the tingly peace brought on by weed and Betty’s fingers. She grabbed the joint out of Jughead’s hand and placed it in the ashtray by her side, leaving it to go out. Betty continued her massage, slowly letting her hands travel further south; rubbing his ear lobes between her thumb and fingers, sliding up and down his neck, kneading his shoulders, and enjoying the quiet little noises she was drawing out of him. 

A particularly uninhibited moan made something low clench in Betty’s stomach, spurring her to continue moving farther down his lithe body. As she slid her hands along his chest firmly, Jughead blinked open his eyes to find that Betty was bending herself forward over him, bringing her full breasts closer towards his face with every inch.

He brought his hands to Betty’s knees, sliding them along her thighs and over her stomach to rest just under her breasts. He lazily rubbed his thumb along her ribs, waiting to see how Betty would respond. When she leaned forward even further, dipping her fingers into the waistband of his jeans, Jughead leaned up to press kisses to the soft skin of her chest. She let out a small gasp, raking her nails up his stomach as she leaned back up to look him in the eyes. 

Jughead smirked as he slid his hands even further up, cupping her breasts and tweaking her nipples as best as he could through the thin lace of her bralette and the cotton of her dress. Betty’s hands came up to squeeze his even tighter against her, letting her head fall back as heat pooled low in her belly.

“Betts?” 

“Mmm, yes Juggie?” she replied, her eyes closed, lips slightly parted. 

“Come down here with me.” When she didn’t immediately obey, Jughead swiftly pinched her nipples then pulled his hands away entirely. He waited until she blinked opened her eyes, turning to him blearily. He shifted, his voice taking on a slightly deeper, firmer tone. “Now, Elizabeth.” 

Betty whimpered lightly at his words, lifted his head so she could get her legs out from under him, and shifted down to lay on her back beside him. 

“Good girl,” he praised, propping himself up on his side above her, his back blocking her from being in view of the house. He leaned down to kiss her languidly. “You know…You’ve been so busy working on this trivia today, that you’ve hardly paid any attention to me.”

“I…I have?” She was having trouble following his words, her mind only able to focus on the sensations he was drawing out of her as his fingers drew patterns along her chest and torso, his mouth remaining just out of reach. He brought a finger to drag circles lightly around her right breast, coming closer and closer to her nipple over the fabric but never quite reaching it. 

“Yes, you have. Prancing around in that little dress, with your long legs on display and that loose v always dropping off your shoulder.” He let out a sigh. “You’ve been teasing me, Elizabeth.” 

“It wasn’t on purpose, Juggie,” she breathed. 

He paused. “Oh, I think it was…I think you know exactly what you’ve been doing to me.” He reached down to grab her left hand and place it against the hardness growing in his jeans. “Now, the question is…what are we going to do about it?” 

She moaned lightly, her back arching up as he finally slid under her flimsy bralette, the rough skin of his hand dragging against her sensitive peak and kneading her breast. She pressed her hand down firmly, moulding her fingers around his erection through his jeans.

“I think…” he tweaked her nipple, “I’m going…” twisted it lightly between his fingers, “to do a little bit of teasing myself, Elizabeth.” He continued his ministrations, moving back and forth between her breasts, tugging, smoothing, pinching at her nipples until she was a panting, writhing mess beneath him. Her hand fell away from his jeans, reaching up behind his head instead to try and pull his face back down to hers for a kiss.

“Please, Juggie.” He smirked down at her, drinking in the desperation on her face. 

“Please what?” As he continued his sweet torture, Betty’s other hand shot up to Jughead’s wrist, trying to drag it down her body. She moaned impatiently when he resisted, keeping his fingers firmly at her chest.

“Please touch me.” He surged forward and took her mouth in a heated, open-mouthed kiss. She moved her tongue against his roughly, her hand tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck to draw him even closer. 

When she started turning onto her side to press against him more fully, he pushed her back down with a hand on her hip and broke their kiss. 

“Ah, ah, ah. Patience, Elizabeth. You don’t get to decide when you’ve had enough teasing…I do.” She groaned, moving the fingers she had around his wrist down to claw at the blanket beneath her instead. 

“Fuck, look at you,” he groaned, his voice husky and low. “Outside in the open, begging me to touch you. We have roommates and neighbours you know…Anyone could see.”

His words had her pressing her thighs together, trying to find an ounce of friction between her legs. 

“But I think you like that, don’t you, Elizabeth?” He brought his hand down to her thigh, dragging the material of her dress up as he slowly moved closer to her heated core. “You like the thought of someone looking out the window and seeing what a good girl you are for me.” By now his fingers were tracing the lines of her underwear lightly, teasingly. “How sweetly you beg for me to touch you,” he brushed over her panties, feeling them soaked through, “how wet you are for me.” 

She whimpered, desperately trying to twist and push her hips into his hand for more pressure. When she felt him lift away from her entirely she opened her eyes, ready to push up and demand he continue, relief flooding through her when he pulled her underwear off and settled back down beside her. 

He bent her right leg up and let it fall to the side, opening her up to him. Her skin was buzzing in anticipation as he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

“God, you’re so responsive. I can feel the heat from your pussy and I’m not even touching you yet.” 

Betty used the hand still on the back of his neck to pull his mouth back to hers, smashing their lips together and opening for his tongue immediately. She couldn’t help herself, moaning loudly into his mouth as he _finally_ dragged his fingers through her folds. He groaned and instinctively thrust his pelvis against the side of her hip when he found her dripping wet from his relentless teasing. He circled her clit roughly with two fingers, smirking against her mouth as she writhed against his hand. 

“I swear to God, Jughead if you don’t put your fingers inside me right this se-“ he cut her off abruptly as he moved his hand down, two fingers shoving easily into her tight, wet heat. He had hardly started pumping in and out of her and Betty was already tensing, her nerve endings coming alive at his touch. 

Knowing it wouldn’t take much to push her over the edge after all the build-up, Jughead brought his thumb up to circle her clit as his fingers pressed and slid into her slick heat, her pussy clenching around the fullness she had been begging for. 

“Oh fuck, yes,” Betty moaned, “I’m so close.” She brought her hand up to squeeze her breast as she ground against Jughead’s hand. 

“That’s it, Elizabeth. Show me how hard you cum when you know anyone could see me playing with this sweet, little pussy of yours.” 

His words coupled with a particularly delicious drag of his fingers sent Betty flying over the edge. Jughead quickly quieted her moans with a kiss, slowing his movements and trying to prolong her orgasm for as long as he could. She eventually pushed his hand away, panting, too sensitive for anymore contact. She relaxed back into the blanket with a heavy sigh. 

Jughead chuckled at the blissed-out expression on her face, wiped his fingers off on the blanket, and quickly pulled the bottom of Betty’s dress back down to make sure she was covered. 

Slowly, the reality of what they had just done hit Betty, and she groaned and flung her hands over her eyes.

“Oh God, if Cheryl or Kevin actually saw that, we will never hear the end of it!” Jughead laughed freely, nodding. Realistically, he knew that there was very little chance that anyone had seen. Betty’s room was the only one with a rear-facing window, and when he came outside Kevin wasn’t home and Cheryl was in her room on a work call. But who was he to deny Betty a chance to explore her slight exhibitionist streak when the opportunity presented itself? 

After a moment, Betty lifted her hands away as a grin grew on her face. “It was definitely worth it though!” Her laughter dissolved into a shriek as Jughead suddenly wrapped his arms around her torso and rolled them so she was laid out on top of him. 

The smile dropped off her face when she felt his erection press against her belly, her eyes immediately darkening with renewed lust. 

“How about we move inside so I can show you what happens when I’m _actually_ trying to tease you?” 

Jughead was up and pulling a giggling Betty behind him and up the stairs in record time, the blanket and joint left forgotten on the lawn. 

* * *

Despite several more Jughead sized distractions over the course of the week, by the time Friday night rolled around Betty was ready for trivia. She had done her best to recreate the format that they used at their regular trivia night, but it was oddly difficult to find questions that were somewhere reasonable between totally fucking impossible and common knowledge. She had decided to go for more difficult questions to keep things interesting, but now she was second-guessing that her friends might be disappointed when their scores were inevitably a little lower than usual.

She had printed out double-sided answer sheets, she had a PDF with the picture round ready to go, she had the playlist for the music round cued up on her computer, and she had a small whiteboard at her side in case people requested the spelling of any words. Most importantly, though, she had packed a fresh bowl in her favourite teal and navy streaked glass pipe, Eleanor, to soothe the mixture of nerves and excitement that were bubbling up at the prospect of hosting. 

From her view walking down the stairs, Cheryl could see Betty bustling around the living room. There were two big, comfy couches. One against the interior wall (which shared a wall with Kevin’s bedroom) and one who’s back separated the living room from the kitchen. There was a large, low table in front of the couches, and a flat-screen TV against the back wall of the house. At that moment, Betty was bringing in a few extra chairs and giving herself a spot to sit at the front where everyone would be able to see her. Cheryl laughed gently to herself when she saw Betty’s set up. 

“I think you need to smoke that bowl before we start, Betty Boop. And you also need to remember that we’re doing this purely to have fun, so we have zero expectations of you.” She leaned down to press a kiss to Betty’s cheek, then turned to go grab snacks from the kitchen and stopped in her tracks, grinning. 

“Oh my god, please tell me this is a fresh batch of pot brownies for later?” 

“Cher, that is most definitely a fresh batch of pot brownies for later,” Betty smiled. Cheryl ran back over and gave Betty a quick hug in appreciation.

“You are an angel on earth, Betty Cooper. Which strand did you use this time?” 

“I decided on Death Bubba! I haven’t tried it as an edible yet, but it’s a good, social hybrid to smoke. Very euphoric and munchie. I do find it has a pretty heavy burnout though, so we might want to save them for after trivia,” Betty explained. 

“Sounds perfect! So we have brownies for later, homemade pita chips and hummus, and the rest of your double chocolate cookies?” Cheryl questioned, looking over the spread on the counter.

“Well…There might also be chips in the cupboard, a fruit plate in the fridge, and tater tots and chicken nuggets in the oven…” At Cheryl’s laugh, Betty felt her anxiety start to rise. “Is that too much? I know that seems like a lot of food, but we all know Jughead eats like a bear preparing for hibernation, and I just thought people might like to have some options. We can always save the fruit for later? Or-“ Taking pity on her roommate, Cheryl cut Betty off mid-stress-rant. 

“No, I think you made delightful choices, Betty-kins. If there are leftovers we can always put them in the fridge for another time!” Betty sighed in relief. 

“Okay. Yes, you’re right,” she smiled at Cheryl gratefully. Her thoughts tended to spiral out of control quite easily these days, and as a chronic over-thinker herself, Cheryl was exceptionally good at recognizing when Betty needed someone to step in. 

“Do you want me to hook your laptop up to the Bluetooth speaker so you can play your music?” Cheryl questioned. 

“Yes, please!” Betty called over her shoulder as she took food out of the oven. “Now I just need to grab a few writing utensils and I’m ready to go!” Jughead walked down the stairs in the middle of Betty’s comment, nodded, and turned back around without missing a beat. A moment later he came back down with Toni and Betty’s deep purple pencil case. 

As Betty finally got around to smoking her bowl, Kevin emerged from his room at the front of the house. “Prepare to lose at trivia, bitches!” He and Cheryl, who were always on a team together, high-fived across the kitchen island. 

“Duh. As stunning and intelligent as you are, TT,” she smirked, “Kevin and I don’t lose.” She suddenly gasped in remembrance. “Wait! Wasn’t your date with Fangs last night?!” Kevin grinned and nodded.

“We expect full details later, Kev,” Cheryl responded. “Be prepared to share.” 

“As if you think I’m not dying to tell you all about it! All you need to know right now though is that I am swooning quite heavily.” A ding from his phone made Kevin turn away. Toni and Cheryl shared a look when Kevin’s face split into a grin as soon as he saw who the text was from. 

“Fangs said he and Sweet Pea are just around the corner!” Kevin announced.

At that, Cheryl moved to the living room to set up Betty’s laptop. Jughead and Toni followed, bringing the array of snacks with them and Kevin made a beeline for Betty’s pipe. The first thing the new arrivals saw when they walked into the house was Kevin coughing up a huge cloud of smoke after a particularly deep hit from Eleanor. Laugher immediately poured into the living room. 

“Well hello to you too, stoner household,” Sweet Pea joked.

“Despite my current state, I can assure you that you are all going down. Cheryl and I are unbeatable at trivia.” 

Once each team (Cheryl and Kevin, Fangs and Sweet Pea, and Toni and Jughead) had settled in with their answer sheets and team names, Betty began. 

“Okay! Welcome everyone,” she smiled brightly. “As you can see from the answer sheets I made, I did my best to recreate a regular trivia night. We have two halves! The first half has a general knowledge round, then the picture round, movie quotes, and the swag question. The second half has a second general knowledge round, a music round, a theme round, brain busters, and a fun bonus question! I tried to keep the questions reasonable, but it’s honestly weirdly difficult to choose questions that aren’t either impossible to answer or laughably easy…but I did my best!” 

“Damn Cooper,” Sweet Pea laughed. “Even when I was half expecting this to just be Kevin quizzing us on musical theatre songs I was excited to be involved, but this is next level!” 

“Seriously, Betty! I’m so impressed,” agreed Toni. The group all murmured their agreement and Betty blushed before getting back on track.

“Okay! Are we all ready to go?” When the group collectively straightened up in anticipation, Betty began. “Question 1: the beer _Grolsch_ is from what country?” 

To give everyone a fighting chance, Betty had included questions from all sorts of topics: beer, history, literature, airplanes, periodic table…you name it. Once they got into the swing of things, her excitement took over and she had even more fun than she was expecting. They had initially laughed at her whiteboard, but when question five was “arachibutyrophobia is the fear of what” and everyone blinked blankly in response, she triumphantly pulled out her whiteboard to spell it out. 

All in all, the night was a success. Toni and Jughead ended up winning, though Kevin argued vehemently that he and Cheryl deserved half points for some of their answers and therefore should have been the winners instead.

When she was finished her hosting duties, Betty curled up in Jughead’s lap on the couch as everyone ate their pot brownies and chatted the evening away. She liked Sweet Pea and Fangs. Though she tended to stay quiet when she was around new people, Sweet Pea’s humour and Fangs’ quiet sincerity made her feel comfortable and able to be herself. She had a feeling she’d be seeing them a lot more often these days, and the thought made her smile. 

As the night wound down, the eyes Fangs and Kevin were making at each other became a little too much for Sweet Pea.

“Damn you two, please quit eye-fucking each other! We’re all sitting right here,” he laughed. Fangs immediately blushed and apologized, but Kevin being Kevin went a different route. 

“Well Fangs, shall we relocate to my room instead then?” He asked with a raised eyebrow. A collective shriek filled the room before Kevin winked and strutted out, leaving the group in hysterics behind him. They only laughed harder as Fangs’ blush somehow got darker when he grinned and waved goodbye, trying not to make eye contact with anyone as he left the room.

After double-checking that Fangs wasn’t going to split an uber home with him, Sweet Pea decided to head out as well, leaving the two couples cuddled up on the couch in comfortable silence. Betty sparked up one last joint, took a few hits, then passed it to Toni.

“Well Betty Boop, I’d call that a success, wouldn’t you?” Cheryl asked, grabbing Betty’s hand. Betty smiled warmly, nodding and threaded their fingers together.

“Yeah, I would too. I hope everyone had fun!” She looked around expectantly.

“Quite possibly the most fun I’ve had in weeks, Betts,” Jughead replied, squeezing the arm he had around her waist affectionately. The group continued chatting lightly as they finished off the joint before retiring to their respective bedrooms. 

When they were cuddled up in bed a few minutes later, Betty lying on her side with her head on Jughead’s chest, he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“You’re something else, you know that, Betts? Before I met you I didn’t think it was possible for someone to care so much about everyone and everything around them.”

“I just want the people I love to be happy,” she replied simply, shrugging. 

“I know you do, it’s one of the many things I love about you.” Jughead shifted so they were facing each other. 

“I love you too, Juggie,” she smiled, leaning forward to kiss him sweetly. “Do you think people would want to do another trivia night in a few weeks?” 

Jughead laughed, kissing her once more before settling in more comfortably. “I’m sure they would, Babe. Now get some sleep.” 

Betty nodded against his chest, a smile on her face as she gently drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trivia nights are the best. I stand by that. I have also created many for my friends over the years, so the formatting and questions included here are from my own trivia nights! 
> 
> I hope you found some comfort in these soft, stoner besties! I know I have.
> 
> Let me know what you think!  
> xoxo E


	3. Panic, Parks and Rec, and Pierogis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, folks! I’m sorry this took a little while to get out. My mental health took a bit of a dive and with it, my inspiration. Eventually, I decided to lean into it and try to write anyways, and what came out was the beginning of this chapter. Fair warning, Betty has a mild panic attack. I know that everyone experiences them differently—what takes place in this chapter is based entirely on my experience both with having them and with trying to cope with them. If reading about that will be triggering for you, please feel free to skip forward to the first line break. I promise we progressively get back into the light and comforting vibes that I love about this story after that!
> 
> The song they dance-party to later in the chapter is Pussy is God by King Princess. An absolute jam and no one can convince me otherwise.
> 
> As always, this story is completely un-beta’d so all mistakes are mine. I also own nothing to do with this show, I simply like writing the characters!

Betty was in a foul mood. She had gotten a work call yesterday morning to cover English at a nearby school, and while normally this would have been great news, she felt her anxiety grow as soon as she accepted the call. Work was few and far between these days, so the opportunity to get out of the house and make some money should have been a good thing. But the more time she spent away from teaching the more she was beginning to think teaching wasn’t actually right for her. Friends of hers from teacher’s college would share stories (both heartwarming and horrifying) from work every day and most of the time all she could think was _thank god I don’t have to deal with that_.   
  
Nevertheless, when she got the call she got dressed from the school appropriate side of her closet, packed herself a school appropriate lunch (no nuts, can be eaten quickly and without a microwave), and forced a smile onto her face when she exited her car. The day had been pretty standard, supervising work period after work period and keeping track of who asked to leave the class when. She knew that substitute teaching was incredibly different from having your own classroom, but the prospect of having to supply for a few more years until she could snag a contract position filled her with dread. As she sat at the teacher’s desk and tried to keep herself busy all day while the students worked, she felt panic in the pit of her stomach start to swirl every time her thoughts wandered. 

Could she start over with a new career now? Wouldn’t that make the six years of university she had completed to get here worthless? Make the tens of thousands of dollars she had spent on said university worthless? What would she even do besides teaching? Betty had decided she wanted to be a teacher when she was in high school and every step she had taken since then had been to get her here: starting her supposed dream career. But if this was her dream career, then why did the prospect of teaching make her sweat? Make her clench her fists and take deep breaths to keep from panicking? This couldn’t be it…Couldn’t be what she did for the rest of her life. 

She had spent the entire day pulling herself back to the present, forcing the anxiety down until she could leave the school and get home. But as soon as she stepped inside and shut the door behind her she couldn’t force it down anymore. She raced upstairs to her room as her breathing got short, her hands started to tingle, and she began to feel miles away from her own body. It didn’t matter how many times this happened, it never got any less terrifying. For a few moments…she had no idea how long…Betty let the waves of emotion pass through her. She curled up in a ball on her bed, shut her eyes, and just tried to breathe. In for 4, hold for 7, out for 8. Again. In for 4, hold for 7, out for 8. Again, 4, 7, 8…again.

She squeezed into herself, the pressure helping her to feel slightly more grounded. When her heart rate started to slow, Betty used a meditation technique she had learnt recently. She pictured a dragonfly floating around on the breeze, eventually coming to land on a leaf in front of her. As she focused on the leaf swaying to and fro with her breaths, her shaking finally subsided, her fists unclenched, and she slowly came back to herself as she kept breathing, steadily, in and out. She lay there for several more minutes, just breathing until she felt like she could open her eyes again. 

She had spent the rest of the evening in her room, her nerves too fried to be around people, and let her roommates know she needed some time to herself. Cheryl, the devoted ally that she was, brought Betty a bowl of stir fry for dinner, along with a quick hug and a kiss, before leaving her alone. Then a few hours later, Kevin had knocked, mug of peppermint tea and packed bowl in hand, and had sat and smoked quietly with her before returning to his room. Betty was pretty sure they had spaced out their visits to not overwhelm her, and their thoughtfulness made her heart clench. She was so grateful to have friends like these.

As the youngest sibling, Betty had always felt the need to hide any anxieties or weaknesses from her family. She didn’t want them to feel obligated to take care of her because she was the ‘baby of the family’. She knew they all had their own lives to worry about and she didn’t want to add her problems onto theirs. With her friends, however, she could be herself. It didn’t matter if she was feeling perky and ready to face the day, or if she was an anxious ball of nerves that needed to be left alone, they just seemed to get it. So she had let her friends take care of her in their own way, then gone to bed early after a call from Jughead hoping that when she woke up she would feel more like herself. 

Instead, she had woken up feeling tired…Feeling drained, sad, and kind of angry for no reason. And no matter what she did she couldn’t seem to snap herself out of it. She took a nice long shower, made herself a matcha latte, did her daily yoga, read from the book she was reading and loving these days ( _The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society_ )…she even tried colouring while she mindlessly watched Keith from the Try Guys eat everything at Olive Garden. But she still just felt…gloomy. She knew Jughead was working today at Attic Books, a small used bookstore in town, and she wouldn’t be able to see him until this evening, but he was usually so good at lifting her spirits that she sent him a text anyways. She was surprised when he answered only a few minutes later.

_11:48 Betty: Hey Jug, how’s the attic today?  
_ _  
11:52 Jughead: Pretty slow actually. I’m about to take lunch, can I call?  
  
_ _11:52 Betty: Yes, please!_

Sure enough, five minutes later her phone rang. “Hey beautiful, feeling any better today?” The sound of his voice, even through a phone, made her shoulders relax slightly.

“Eh. I’m less panicky but still feeling really down. Nothing is helping so far,” she sighed. After helping her down from a panic attack a few months into dating, Jughead had made Betty promise to never lie or sugarcoat how she was feeling to him. It had taken time, but she was happy that she was finally at the stage where she wasn’t afraid that he’d run away scared any time she had a bad mental health day. 

“I’m sorry you’re having a shitty day, Betts. I wish I could leave work early but I’m the only one scheduled for the next few hours.” His sincerity made her melt.

“No, no, I’m just glad you were able to call! But I guess I should let you eat your lunch. You’re coming over after work though, right?” Betty asked, not wanting to hang up but knowing that his lunch break was hardly long enough for him to eat.

“Absolutely. Hey, is Cheryl around today? Maybe she could cheer you up a bit.” The suggestion made her pause.

“Yeah, she is…That’s not a bad idea actually, thanks. Have a good rest of your shift, Juggie.”

After exchanging goodbyes, she sat down at the kitchen island and let his suggestion sink in. Though she loved her friends more than she thought was possible, Betty still found it hard to ask them for help. Knowing that they understand her anxieties better than most didn’t stop her from feeling like a burden. Despite her gratitude last night Betty had still felt guilt creep in at her friends being forced to take care of her. _But no_ , she told herself, _they hadn’t been forced to do anything, they were just being good friends_ …She had been trying to work on those engrained attitudes for years now. An opportunity to reach out had just presented itself, and damnit, she was going to take it.

Needing a few minutes to work up the courage, Betty allowed herself to succumb to her craving of frozen chicken fingers and fries for lunch. She finished eating, cleaned up, took a deep breath, tightened her ponytail, and went upstairs.   
  


* * *

  
“Yes, Betty Boop?” Betty paused in confusion before opening the door to Cheryl’s room, finding her sitting cross-legged at her desk.  
  
“How did you know it was me?” she asked the smirking redhead.

Cheryl laughed. “Unless TT is here…and often even when TT _is_ here, Kevin just raps on the door twice and comes in without waiting for a response. You, dearest Betty, are much too polite for that. Three knocks followed by silence means it’s you at my door, without a doubt.” 

“Oh…I guess you’re right,” she smiled at her best friend’s observations.

“I usually am. Now, to what do I owe this pleasure?” Cheryl quickly saved whatever she was working on before tilting the top of her laptop down and turning to face Betty. 

Her smile faltered. “You know what? That’s okay. You’re obviously busy with work…I can come back later.” 

Cheryl frowned at Betty’s uncharacteristic attitude. “Nonsense. I’m never too busy for my favourite blonde! Is everything okay, babe?”

“I…I’m just having a bad mental health day I guess. I’ve been trying to keep busy but I’m just in a foul mood and I’m tired and I don’t know what else to try.” Betty’s hands flew up as she explained, letting her frustration at her lack of control show through.  
  
“Betty, you’re probably just a little emotionally hungover from yesterday,” Cheryl noted gently. “After panic attacks or bad anxiety days, I usually feel drained, both physically and emotionally. It’s horribly unpleasant, but in my case, I simply have to let myself recuperate and try to not feel guilty for taking the time to do so. Do you think that might be the case for you as well?”   
  
“Yeah, I…that sounds right actually. I’m exhausted and it’s only 12:30. Come to think of it, I feel like I woke up exhausted,” Betty sighed. 

Cheryl smiled sadly, “It happens to the best of us, my love.” Her computer dinged and she quickly flashed a ‘one-sec’ finger before checking a few things on her laptop and turning back around. “Okay. I have probably 1-2 hours worth of work I still need to get done today, but it’s nothing that can’t be done while you settle in and watch something on my TV? If you’d rather be alone, I underst-“

She was cut off by an armful of Betty. “No, that sounds perfect, Cher. Thank you.” She hugged her friend fiercely before pulling back with a watery smile. “Parks and Rec sound okay?” 

Cheryl grinned and nodded. “You read my mind, Betty-kins. Start from wherever you want.”

As Betty climbed onto Cheryl’s bed and opened up _Prime_ to watch their show, Cheryl couldn’t help but observe her friend quietly. While Betty was usually quite an open person in general, never hesitating to share family or relationship stories, Cheryl had noticed over the years that her mental health was a different story. Betty had always been one to try and help people in any way she could, often putting her own needs aside without a second thought. So Cheryl felt touched and even honoured that Betty felt comfortable coming to her when she needed help. 

Cheryl’s relationship with her family was…complicated, to say the least. She was hardly in contact with them anymore, but that was honestly for the best. She had found a new family in Betty, Kevin, Toni…and even in Jughead, and she was so happy to be able to be there for Betty in ways that the blonde had always been there for her. So she finished up her work as quickly as possible, rushing probably a little more than was productive, before snuggling up next to Betty to let Leslie Knope and the rest of Pawnee ease their minds.

Twenty minutes after Cheryl climbed into bed with her, Betty fell asleep. Not wanting to disturb her slumbering bestie, Cheryl simply let her rest, absentmindedly stroking Betty’s hair as the episodes played on.   
  


* * *

  
When Betty woke sometime later, still cuddled up with Cheryl in bed, she felt rested…well…maybe not rested…But she felt somewhat better, and that counted as a win in her books. As she sat up, she grabbed Cheryl’s hand to interlace their fingers and squeeze gratefully. _It’s amazing what rest and knowing you’re not alone can do for the state of one’s mental health_ , she thought. Betty knew that it wouldn’t always be this simple, that often her mind needed much more tending to than a nap and some cuddles, but she was thankful that in today’s case she was starting to feel better.   
  
“Did you have any dinner plans, Cher?” Betty asked quietly.   
  
“Not really, no! I was just going to have some of the leftover stir-fry from yesterday. Did you have something in mind, my dear?” She grabbed a half-smoked bowl from her nightstand, took a small toke, then passed the pipe to Betty. 

“I’ve been wanting to make more homemade pierogis! The dough needs to sit for a while, so I’d have to take care of that soon,” she paused to take a hit, “but would you want to make the actual pierogis with me later?” 

“Ah, another classic Betty brain baby™,” Cheryl grinned, “I’m in. Are we making a big batch to freeze again?”  
  
Betty paused to think, trying to remember how much sour cream and cheese they had in the fridge. “We might need to ask Kev to pick up a few things. I think I have everything I need for the dough, but we definitely don’t have enough potatoes or cheese for a big batch.” 

Cheryl was already crafting a text to their other roommate by the time Betty finished talking. “Done and done, Betty-kins. Kev’s on it.” 

A few hours later Kevin burst into the house with his usual flourish. “No need to panic, the rest of the meal has arrived! Delivered to you by,” he paused, smirking, to gesture to himself, “a snack.” 

He was met with silence before Betty dissolved into giggles. Cheryl was slightly less impressed. “Do us all a favour, Kev, and never refer to yourself as a snack again.”

“Only if you ask nicely, Cherry,” Kev sassed back, smirk never leaving his face.   
  
She rolled her eyes and sighed, continuing in a monotone voice. “Kevin Keller, light of my life, please never call yourself a snack again.” 

“Ugh, fine! But I have no control over what the rest of the world calls me. If, for example, Betty here decides that I am, indeed, a snack, then you’re just going to have to accept that.” 

Betty laughed before holding up her hands in surrender. “I want nothing to do with this! I just wanted to make pierogis!” 

“Then pierogis we shall make!” Cheryl exclaimed, grabbing the reusable grocery bag from Kevin. “Kev, you opalescent tree shark, thank you for grabbing the rest of the ingredients! The dough is chilling but it’ll take a bit to cook the potatoes, so feel free to go wind down from work a bit before you join our assembly line!” Kevin nodded and saluted before turning back towards his room. “Betty Boop, would you prefer to be on potato cutting duty or music and weed duty?” Cheryl continued, easily getting them all back on track.

“Potatoes!” Betty exclaimed. “And preferably something upbeat to listen to please, to compliment the new vibes we have going on in here.” She smiled at the redhead, hoping to convey how appreciative she was that Cheryl had helped turn her gloomy mood around.

“Yes, mam’!” she responded with a wink. Cheryl quickly put King Princess on shuffle through the Bluetooth speaker they kept in the kitchen before running upstairs to grab Fabiola, her bright red pipe. Meanwhile, Betty meticulously chopped potatoes and set them in a pot with salted water to boil, dancing along gently to the music. By the time Cheryl returned with the freshly packed pipe, Betty’s gentle swaying had evolved into a full-on dance party. 

Cheryl announced her presence by belting along, “Um, your pussy is God, and you know I think you're so cute when you get high.” She shimmied into the kitchen, “I’ve never been good at this nice shit, but I can try if you like it.”

Betty laughed and joined in, dancing around the kitchen island to meet Cheryl. “It gets hard when you give a fuck, get knocked down from some other love” the two clasped hands and twirled each other around, singing at the top of their lungs. “But their best wasn't good enough, and you're number one to me.” 

By the time Kevin joined them a few minutes later, the potatoes were mostly cooked and his two best friends were in a beautiful, giggly, stoned state. 

“Okay, I need to get on your level, and fast,” he laughed. Cheryl simply smiled serenely as she handed Kevin the pipe.

Betty got up to check on the potatoes, then straightened and turned abruptly. “The time is now,” her voice took on a melodramatically urgent tone. “Cheryl! I need salt, pepper, and cheese, stat!” Too stoned and out of breath to move from her perch on the stool, Cheryl turned to Kevin and adopted Betty’s tone.

“You heard her Kevin! We need salt, pepper, and cheese, stat!” 

“And milk!” Betty continued without missing a beat. “Kevin, we need the milk! Stat!” 

Kevin shook his head fondly at his best friends, laughing as he gathered the necessary ingredients. “Aye, aye, captains!”   
  
Soon enough, Betty had finished the filling for the pierogis and had set the trio up in an assembly line. Kevin was to roll out the dough and cut circles with the edge of one of their wine glasses. Betty was then going to take the dough-circles, fill and close them, then pass them to Cheryl, who would seal the dumplings shut by crimping the edges with a fork. Other than stopping for an occasional dance break they worked well, and row after row of delicious, cheesy pierogi quickly began to accumulate on their kitchen island.   
  
The rhythmic monotony of crafting pierogi, coupled with the company of her two best friends, music, and weed seemed to chase away the very last of Betty’s earlier blues. When Jughead arrived from work he found his girlfriend looking extremely stoned and content, sandwiched between her roommates on the couch and watching Harry Potter. He leaned down to give her a quick kiss, completely ignoring the cries of outrage from Cheryl and Kevin when he blocked the screen to do so, then decided to bother them even further by plopping down on the far side of the couch and stretching his legs out on top of all three of them. 

Betty smiled at his position, then noticed the several bags of chips Jughead had brought in with him and began to laugh. The others looked on in confusion as her laughter built, but the fact that no one knew why she was laughing only made her laugh even harder, and soon tears were leaking out of her eyes as she held her stomach and tried to calm down enough to get words out. 

“Do you two know what’s happening?” Jughead asked. The pair shook their heads in response and they all turned to look at Betty.

“Snacks,” she managed to squeak out, pointing to the chips, “delivered by a…a snack!” Cheryl immediately burst out into laughter and Kevin gasped in mock outrage.

“Oh, so it’s funny when she says it?!” When his anger made Cheryl snort, Kevin finally broke and joined in on the laughter. 

Despite no one bothering to explain the apparent hilarity to him, Jughead couldn’t help but find their laughter contagious, and soon he was laughing right along with them.

Later when they were in bed, Betty explained the joke to Jughead, then began giggling all over again when, in typical Jughead fashion, he had no idea what being referred to as a “snack” meant. As she settled in, sighing into the comfort of being the little spoon, Betty smiled softly to herself. These people brought so much light into her life, and she was so glad they had found each other. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can we tell I’m a tad bit stressed about my future? Substitute teaching sucks, y’all. Betty in this story is basically me. I am Betty, and I am stressed. *sighs* But writing this story has been a much-needed outlet these days! So thank you so much for coming along on the journey, and a special thank you to those who have commented or kudo’d! I am truly ecstatic every time I get an e-mail notification about responses to this story :) 
> 
> Also? I dare you all to try saying Betty Brain Baby five times fast. Also, also? You may have noticed that I’ve been mentioning a different food each chapter. Every recipe Betty makes has been one that is near and dear to my heart! Should I be posting the recipes along with the chapters? Would anyone be interested? 
> 
> As always, let me know what you think!  
> xoxo E


	4. Interruptions, Ice Cream, and Ibuprofen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, hey there folks. It's me again, back two months later with an update! It's been strug city these days, y'all. The longer this pandemic goes on for, the less creative and inspired I feel. Anyone else?
> 
> I feel kinda meh about this chapter, but I've been writing and tinkering for two months and I don't think I'm ever going to be 100% happy with it. So I felt it was time. Time to share it and hope people are still interested in this cozy stoner friendship world I've created! 
> 
> As always, this story is completely un-beta’d so all mistakes are mine. I also own nothing to do with this show, I simply like writing the characters! Now, on with the chapter!

Betty was sitting sideways on one of the couches in the living room, her back against the arm of the couch and her legs across Jughead’s lap. They were watching an episode of _The Marvellous Miss Maisel_ , and while normally Betty found this show enthralling, today she was distracted. She was distracted by how soft and full Jughead’s hair looked without his signature beanie covering it up. She was distracted by his arms being on display in a light blue ’S’ t-shirt as he shed a few layers in the early summer heat, and she was definitely distracted by the way his hands were slowly rubbing along her legs. She was pretty sure he wasn’t even doing it intentionally, but his fingers trailing absentmindedly along the skin of her bare legs was making her lose focus on anything other than him.

She was astounded by the fact that even after two years of dating, just looking at him was enough to get her going. Yes, he was an attractive man, she wasn’t about to deny that, but it was more than that. The longer they were together, the deeper she grew to love him and the more her attraction grew. The way he’d give any of her shows a try even though they might not be to his taste, the way he brought home books from The Attic that he thought she’d like, the way he devoured her baking, the way he ranted about literature…she found it all attractive.

As she got lost in her inner musings, Jughead noticed that his little quips about the show weren’t being returned. Looking over at Betty, he found her staring back at him, a glint in her eyes. She smiled at his attention and leaned forward to grab the remote and pause the episode.

“What’s u—“ Jughead’s question was cut off by Betty’s lips pressing firmly into his. The hand he had on her leg squeezed gently as he returned the kiss before pulling back slightly. “What was that for?”

“Can’t I just kiss my extremely sexy boyfriend?” she smiled as she slid her fingers lightly along his chest.

“Oh, I’m extremely sexy, am I?” he smirked.

“Extremely. Sexy.” She fisted his shirt and pulled him back to her, meeting his eager lips with her own. Jughead let out a soft moan as she opened her mouth and tangled her tongue with his. Her enthusiasm rapidly igniting his own hunger, Jughead grabbed Betty’s waist to pull her up so she could straddle his hips. As he slid his hands up underneath her shirt to rub along her back, Betty's hands smoothed into his hair. A particularly delicious scratch of his scalp had him gripping and grinding her hips down into his quickly hardening lap.

_God, I’ll never get tired of kissing this man_ , Betty thought. Relishing in how rapidly his touch always brought warmth to her skin and a moan to her lips.

Jughead wrenched his mouth away from Betty’s, both of them breathing heavily, to kiss his way along her jaw and down her neck. She threw her head back to give him easier access, one hand still buried in his hair, and the other against his back, pressing herself even closer to him.

A cough from the kitchen made them pull apart sharply, turning breathlessly to see Kevin standing there mid-eye roll.

“You two do know that you’re in a shared living space right?” He laughed at their wide-eyed expressions. “I’d tell you to get a room, but you don’t actually have time for that!”

When Betty moved to get off of him, Jughead held her in place with a hand on her hip, and glanced down to his lap, hoping she got the message. She gave him a sympathetic smile and stayed where she was to address Kevin.

“And why pray tell, do we not have time?” She questioned.

“Fangs and Toni have invited us all out to the bar after their shift at Los Lobos! And before you say anything, I know you don’t have other plans tonight so don’t even think about making an excuse,” he waved a hand dismissively. “Your sexy times can wait.”

At that moment, Cheryl pranced down the stairs wearing a red, silk robe, effortlessly inserting herself into the conversation as if she had been there all along.

“Come get ready with us, Betty-kins! It’s been far too long since we’ve had a fun night out.” She ran forward to grab Betty’s hand, raising an eyebrow when she noted their position. “Oh, I see we’ve forgotten about the lack of privacy in the living room again.”

This was certainly not the first time they had been caught in the act, though thankfully they (almost) always came to their senses and moved to a bedroom before things escalated too far.

“Oh my god,” Betty groaned. “Like you guys are any better. And may I remind you, we haven’t even agreed to go out yet!”

Kevin huffed. “Oh, come on! Things are going really well with Fangs and I want you two to spend some time with him!”

Cheryl nodded. “Exactly, and again, I remind you, it’s been too long since we’ve had a night out! So we are going to grab ourselves a couple of drinks, get ready together upstairs, then head out for a delightfully messy evening of getting to know our boo’s new beau.” Cheryl held out her hand to Betty again.

Betty turned to look questioningly at Jughead, who smiled gently and nodded in response. She smiled back, loving how much he seemed to enjoy spending time with her friends. “We’ll finish this later,” she winked, then kissed him gently before grabbing Cheryl’s outstretched hand to stand up.

“Fine. We’ll go! But I am not going to have any drinks before the bar,” she pointed a finger at Cheryl when she got a groan in response. “No. You know how much of a lightweight I am! I will, however, smoke a joint to myself before we leave. Happy?”

Kevin and Cheryl squealed and pulled Betty towards the stairs.

“If you’re sticking around until we head to the bar, Jones, feel free to help yourself to the beer in the fridge,” Kevin called over his shoulder. As the trio ran upstairs to get ready in Cheryl’s bathroom (which had two sinks and much better lighting than the one that Betty and Kevin shared), Jughead laughed to himself. Seeing as how he had a stash of clothes in Betty’s room, he figured he had time for a beer and an episode of _Parks and Rec_ before he had to get changed.

* * *

By the time they arrived at the bar, the Los Lobos trio was already seated at a table with glasses and an almost empty pitcher of beer in front of them. Cheryl squealed and immediately pranced over to stamp a kiss on Toni’s lips before sitting down gracefully on her lap and bidding everyone a hello. Kevin laughed at Cheryl’s antics before giving Fangs a quick peck, waving his greeting, and sitting down beside his newly minted boyfriend. Everyone looked expectantly to Betty and Jughead, who simply said hi and sat down.

“Oh, you can suck each other’s faces off in the living room, but don’t want to kiss at a bar?” Kevin laughed at Betty’s horrified expression.

“Kevin!” she gasped, “There’s a difference! And you were both greeting people, not just kissing out of nowhere!” The group collectively laughed as her cheeks turned pink and she looked determinedly anywhere but her friend’s eyes.

“We’re just teasing you, Betty-kins,” Cheryl placated. “You know I think Bughead is just slightly less adorable than TT and I.”

“High praise indeed,” Betty sighed, turning back to face her friends. “Let’s just move on now, shall we?”

Sweet Pea straightened in his seat. “Oh! A kid threw a fit over the birthday sombrero today!”

“Oh my god, how was that not the first thing out of your mouths when we arrived?” Kevin exclaimed. “Please, go on.”

“This kid was turning…five, was it?” Toni waited for Fangs to nod in agreement before continuing. “And for some reason, he was just terrified of the sombrero.”

“It’s a big sombrero, I’ll give him that,” Jughead chimed in.

“Oh, it’s fucking huge, dude,” Sweet Pea continued, “but his mom was _adamant_ that he wear it, even though it was basically as big as he was, and the kid was flipping out.”

“So what did you do?!” Betty asked, leaning forward in her seat.

Toni laughed. “Fangs had to awkwardly hover the sombrero over the kid’s head while his mom snapped a few photos!”

They all turned, laughing, to see Fangs roll his eyes. “I didn’t see the point! He was screaming and crying in all the photos regardless of if the sombrero was anywhere near his head!”

“Sounds like you three, and especially Fangsy here could use another drink!” Cheryl proclaimed. “Next pitcher is on me!”

“Thanks, Cher,” Fangs smiled.

“TT? Betty dearest? Would you accompany me to the bathroom and then to the bar?” Cheryl asked with a glint in her eyes that Betty knew all too well.

“To the bar? Yes.” Betty kissed Jughead quickly on the cheek before standing.

“Yes, we’ll get to the bar eventually,” Cheryl continued, throwing her purse over her shoulder and grabbing Toni’s hand in her right and Betty’s in her left.

As they walked off, Cheryl clearly steering Betty towards the bathroom, the boys turned to a chuckling Kevin for explanation.

“They’re going to do shots of whatever alcohol Cheryl has stashed in her purse in the bathroom. Betty never wins this fight.”

“Oh god,” Jughead groaned. “Cheryl wasn’t kidding when she said she wanted to get messy tonight, was she?”

Kevin let out a bark of laughter, “No, she definitely was not, my friend. 10 bucks says she brings back a round of shots for everyone, too.”

“Oh,” Sweet Pea straightened in his seat, “I’ll take that bet. I say she’ll buy everyone shots later, not now.”

“Deal,” Kevin held out his hand for Sweet Pea to shake.

After a few more minutes of chatting, the girls eventually returned. Betty with a tray of beer and more glasses, and sure enough, Cheryl with a tray of tequila shots.

“Pay up, big guy,” Kevin laughed, addressing Sweet Pea. “I know my girls.”

“And how did Kevin manage to swindle someone out of money this time?” Betty asked, laughing at the look of outrage on Kevin’s face.

“Miss Rosy Cheeks here takes one bathroom shot and now I’m some sort of pirate!” Kevin exclaimed, taking the tray from Betty’s hands with pursed lips and placing it in the middle of the table.

Sweet Pea laughed at Kevin’s dramatics. “Kevin bet me that you’d bring shots back from the bar, Red.”

Cheryl scoffed. “Me bringing shots back should be of no surprise to anyone, Sweet Pea. Even to a newcomer to the group like you.”

“Oh, I didn’t bet against you bringing shots…I just thought you’d bring them later.” He smirked as she raised her eyebrow.

“Hmm. It seems there is hope for you yet…” She trailed off, staring at Sweet Pea intently. When she didn’t let up her staring, Sweet Pea looked around, confused. Kevin, Betty, and Toni laughed at the look on his face, while Jughead rolled his eyes and Fangs shrugged.

“Damn, should I be worried here? I feel like I’m about to be interrogated,” he put his hands up innocently as Cheryl’s staring persisted.

Toni chuckled, putting a hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder to stop her from explaining herself.

“Wanna double up, Pea? I bet I know why Cher’s staring. Loser buys the other’s next drink?”

Kevin leaned over with a grin to whisper conspiratorially in Betty’s ear. “These Los Lobos folks certainly bring entertainment to the group.” She laughed in agreement before shifting her attention back to Sweet Pea, who was now staring at a smirking Cheryl with laser-like focus.

“Alright, Topaz. Cheryl is staring at me because…” Sweet Pea looked in turn at each person in the group as though the answer would be written on their faces. When that proved unsuccessful, he turned back to Cheryl for a moment before a slow grin took over his face. “Because she’s trying to figure out if my dick size is proportionate to my height.” Sweet Pea wagged his eyebrows as the rest of the group burst into laughter. “It is, by the way,” he added with a wink.

Cheryl rolled her eyes, unimpressed. “I can say with 100% certainty that I have never exerted an ounce of brainpower on trying to figure out the size of your penis, Sweet Pea.”

Cheryl turned expectantly towards Toni who responded with a grin. “She was trying to figure out how to turn your name into a nickname.”

Cheryl turned back to Sweet Pea, teeth gleaming. “You owe my ravishing TT a drink.”

Sweet Pea groaned and smacked the table as Toni laughed. “Sorry, Pea, but to echo Kevin’s earlier sentiment, I know my girl.”

Cheryl zeroed in on Toni, leaning in towards her. “Is it weird that you finding me predictable is a turn on?” Toni grinned and shook her head before pulling Cheryl the rest of the way in with a hand on the back of her neck.

Kevin rolled his eyes at this typical display of affection. “Down girl, you promised me a drunken, messy night, remember?” Cheryl pulled back from their kiss and winked at Toni before turning her attention back to the rest of the group.

“You’re right, Kev. These shots aren’t going to take themselves!”

Kevin took it upon himself to hand out the shots. “Bottoms up, everyone!”

“Isn’t it a little early in the night for tequila?” Jughead asked Betty with a grimace.

“Oh relax, if I can take a shot of jäger in the bathroom, you can take a shot of tequila now.” She smiled innocently at him then grabbed the accoutrements for her shot. Maintaining eye contact, Betty slowly licked the skin between her thumb and index finger, sprinkled a bit of salt, then licked it off, gulped down the shot, and chased it with an exaggerated suck of lime and a wink.

At her challenging smirk, Jughead leaned in to whisper. “If you’re trying to remind me of how impressive you and your mouth are, trust me, I remember. And I plan on making good use of it when we get home later.”

When Betty pulled back, eyes noticeably darker than before, Jughead smirked and followed suit with his own shot. He was, however, much less successful at hiding his grimace as the alcohol made its way down. Betty laughed lightly before kissing him on the cheek and turning back to face Cheryl, who was grinning and ready to ramp things up.

“Well folks, shall we play a game?” Cheryl asked. “Perhaps Picolo or Up Chickens?”

“Picolo,” Kevin chimed in. “Let’s save up chickens for once we’re a little tipsy.”

Cheryl nodded and pulled out her phone, “I like the way you think, Keller.”

Sweet Pea raised his hand like a student waiting to be called on by the teacher. Cheryl laughed when she looked up from her phone and saw his expectant smile.

“Yes, Pea?…Sweets?…Ugh, I’ll find a nickname I like eventually,” she sighed. “But please, continue.”

He laughed then cleared his throat. “Okay. My question is…” he paused and glanced around at the group. “What the fuck are Picolo and Up Chickens?”

“Picolo is a phone app,” Betty explained, smiling. “You put in everyone’s name, and then the game gives you prompts, questions, and activities to do that all inevitably lead to drinking. It’s kind of like an electronic, slightly more varied version of King’s Cup. It’s usually a pretty good one to start off with to get everyone drinking.”

“And Up Chickens,” Kevin continued, “involves a team passing a coin around under the table, then smacking their hands down on the table at the same time while the other team has to try to figure out under which hand the coin is hiding.”

“Both great games,” Cheryl added.

“Both get you drinking,” continued Kevin.

“Both very fun,” Betty finished.

Sweet Pea laughed, shaking his head in amazement at the almost rehearsed way they interacted with each other. “Okay, I think I get the gist. Let’s do this.”

The night quickly dissolved into drunken storytelling, raucous laughter, and far too many shots. Though she wasn’t a big drinker, Betty had to admit that it was fun every once in a while if she was doing it with her favourite people in the world. Sweet Pea and Fangs seemed to fit seamlessly into their little group, and she was ecstatic for Kevin at how well things were going with Fangs. Throughout the evening she kept noticing them smiling and whispering to each other, off in their own little world, as she often found herself doing with Jughead.

* * *

Eventually, Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Kevin left to take an uber back to their place. After so much reminiscing, however, Betty and Cheryl were both decidedly drunk and feeling nostalgic, and decided that rather than getting their own uber they should walk back to the house ‘like old times’ instead. Toni and Jughead reluctantly agreed after Betty produced a joint and lighter seemingly out of nowhere in order to fuel their walk home.

After lighting the joint, Betty took a puff and passed it to Cheryl before threading her fingers into Jughead’s.

“Okay, friends!” Betty exclaimed. “What was everyone’s favourite part of the evening?”

Cheryl smiled fondly at her friend as she took her own toke. “I love it when you prompt conversations to have over a joint, Betty Boop. I swear it makes my memories of the evening more vivid.”

Jughead hummed in agreement. “Yeah, like it gives us something to focus on instead of letting the memories disperse in the cloud of smoke.”

“God, you’re extra pretentious when you drink, Jones,” Toni laughed, “But I know what you mean.”

“Guys,” Betty smiled, “I’m glad that you’re glad that I asked a question. But no one has actually…you know…” she giggled at their questioning looks, “…answered the question.”

Jughead tugged Betty closer and kissed the top of her head. “My favourite part is right now.”

Cheryl groaned. “You two are gross,” she mumbled, smiling sheepishly as Betty noticed her pull Toni a little bit closer.

The group chatted and smoked as they walked, eventually passing Marble Slab Creamery, their favourite chain ice cream shop.

Cheryl slowed her pace to look longingly at the closed restaurant. “Oh my god, what I wouldn’t give for some Marble Slab right now.” Betty immediately nodded her agreement.

“Is there ever a time when you two _don’t_ want ice cream?” Toni questioned.

“Nope,” Betty replied, popping the p. “We even walk to get ice cream during the winter.”

“Have either of you two,” Cheryl continued, pointing at their significant others, “ever seen what happens when snow lands on ice cream?”

Jughead laughed. “No, we haven’t, because we choose to enjoy our frozen treats in the summer like normal people.”

“Oh please,” Betty scoffed, “like you would turn down ice cream if I offered you some in the winter.”

Jughead paused to consider her point as he took a hit. “Yeah, no,” he laughed, “you definitely got me there. I am never one to turn down food.”

“We know,” the girls chorused as the joint made its way back around to Betty.

Toni rolled her eyes at the outrage on Jughead’s face. “So what happens when snow lands on ice cream?”

“Well obviously it lands on the ice cream without melting,” Betty started.

“But it’s almost as if it becomes one with the ice cream?” Cheryl continued.

Betty nodded, picking the thought back up. “Yeah like it takes in some of the dairy or something.” Toni and Jughead nodded along, used to how these two seemed to almost share a brain sometimes.

“Because it turns into these perfect little, milky balls that sit on the ice cream.” Cheryl paused. “Okay, it’s actually harder to explain than I thought it would be.”

“Ou!” Betty did a little jump as her voice raised in excitement. “It almost looks like dip n’ dots!”

“Yes!” Cheryl cheered, pumping a fist in the air, “like dip n’ dots but smaller!”

Jughead hummed. “Toni, it sounds like we need to experience ice cream in the winter!”

“It absolutely does,” she agreed, smiling at the goofy smiles on the girls’ faces.

“It’s most magical when it’s snowing, obviously,” Cheryl stated, “and at night.” Betty nodded, waiting for Cheryl to discard the spent joint before grabbing her hand.

Jughead tugged Betty closer to wrap his arm around her shoulders, laughing lightly when she stumbled into his embrace. “We’ll all go together, sometime.”

* * *

Despite their teasing all night, by the time they got home Betty and Jughead were both too tired and inebriated to do anything but chug some water and pass out.

When Betty woke the next morning, she was laying on her stomach tangled up in her blankets, and she was sweating profusely. Her attempts at rolling over resulted in a groan from the Jughead shaped mound beside her.

“Oh god, just kill me now, Betts,” he croaked out, his voice sounding gravelly and low.

Trying to ignore the nausea swirling in her stomach, she managed a weak laugh. “You gonna make it, Jug?”

“Absolutely not,” he continued from under the blankets. “We had a good run, you and I, but this is it. I’m not gonna survive much longer.”

“Okay then, drama queen,” she teased. Betty’s laughter, however, was immediately cut short when she swung her legs over the side of the bed and attempted to sit up.

“Oh fuck, that was too much too soon,” she groaned, her hand flying up to cover her mouth just in case.

Jughead’s hand appeared out of the blankets to rub soothing circles on her back as she tried to maintain her upright position.

“Okay,” Betty started, having recovered slightly from the movement. “My mouth tastes like death, I need water.”

She gingerly pulled on one of Jughead’s hoodies before making her way to the kitchen. Ecstatic when she found a Gatorade in the fridge, Betty grabbed the bottle and a glass of ice water, made a detour to grab ibuprofen from the bathroom, and returned to her room to share the spoils of her mission with Jughead.

“Alright, Juggie, if you can manage to sit up, I’ve got Gatorade and ibuprofen,” she said, keeping her voice soft.

“Betty Cooper,” he groaned, “you are an angel on Earth.”

They spent the rest of the day cuddled in bed watching _Brooklyn 99_ and slowly recovering from the night before. Around dinner time, a similarly hungover Cheryl and Toni knocked to ask if they wanted in on a _Five Guys_ order, before making their way in to join the cuddle fest that was now Betty’s bed.

* * *

A few days later, Betty and Jughead were getting home from having lunch on the patio at a nearby restaurant. Shutting the door behind them, Betty instinctively headed towards the living room when she felt Jughead grab her hand to pull her back to him.

She turned to him with a smile, lips spreading into a sly grin at the look on his face.

“I thought maybe we could revisit our post-bar plans from the other night?” He murmured softly, lowering his mouth to ghost along the shell of Betty’s ear.

Without hesitation, Betty turned her head to meet his lips with her own. They had been oddly busy since that night at the bar and hadn’t had a chance to be alone since. His gentle teasing had only served to amplify her need, and now that they had the opportunity, Betty wasn’t about to let it pass by.

Her stomach clenched when he groaned into her mouth, and she immediately pulled away to jump up and secure her legs around his waist. Grinning at her enthusiasm, Jughead brought a hand down to squeeze at her ass and keep her in place, the other one reaching around her back to press her more firmly into his front.

Betty nipped, sucked, and licked her way down his throat, smiling to herself when she felt him stumble a little as he kicked off his shoes. He moved his hand to the back of her head, tugging on her hair lightly to bring her mouth back to his.

Jughead carried her towards the stairs, pausing to set her down on the edge of the bannister so he could pull off her shirt.

“Wait,” Betty breathed, “someone might be home.” At that, Jughead let her shirt fall down, slid his arms beneath her thighs to pick her back up, and rushed them to her room. Closing the door firmly behind them, Betty giggled as he tossed her onto the bed and pulled his shirt off. Betty sat up quickly to do the same but paused to bite her lip at the predatory look in his eyes.

“Take it off…slowly,” Betty nearly moaned from the sound of his voice alone, low and possessive as it was. She nodded, never breaking eye contact, and slid her hands slowly down her sides to grasp at the bottom of her t-shirt. She spread her legs, an invitation for him to move between them, as she peeled her shirt off, inch by inch.

Jughead swallowed thickly at the sight of his girlfriend, her perky tits heaving in a lacy navy bralette, legs spread wide for him, and moved quickly to pull her up by the shoulders and bring his mouth back to hers for a bruising kiss.

Betty jumped, startled, at the sound of the front door opening and Kevin’s unmistakable voice calling out her name.

“Lock that door, Jug. We are not getting interrupted again.” While normally he might have laughed at her dramatics, at the moment it was anything but funny, and he quickly turned to lock the door before pushing Betty back onto the bed and crawling over her when she laid back with her head on the pillows.

“You know he’s going to come up here anyways, Betts,” Jughead smirked.

“I don’t care. Don’t you dare stop kissing me,” Betty replied, the desperation clear in her voice. Jughead didn’t need to be told twice. He immediately kissed her, hard, then moved a hand down to hitch her leg over his hip and kissed his way down the column of her throat.

They heard the door handle jiggle and Kevin’s voice call out. “Hey, Betty?”

_Cheryl was right, he never knocks, does he?_ Betty thought to herself.

“Not now, Kev!” She shouted back.

“I just need some help with this recipe. What does it mean when they say I need to fold—“

“Ask Red, Kevin.” At Jughead’s voice, Kevin seemed to understand what was going on. His laughter carried through the door.

“Get it, girl! I’ll talk to you later.” When they heard him make his way down the stairs, Jughead turned to look back at Betty with a smirk.

“Now, where were we?”

* * *

A few minutes later, Cheryl walked into the house to see a very dishevelled Kevin surrounded by ingredients in the kitchen.

“And what, may I ask, is going on in here?” She asked eyebrow raised.

“I’m trying to make Fangs some cupcakes but it is not going well,” he laughed.

Cheryl moved to head upstairs. “Do you want me to go grab Betty for you?” Kevin’s laughter grew as the unmistakable sound of Betty moaning floated down from upstairs.

“I think I’m on my own today, Cher. Bughead finally decided to get a room.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay first, I am so not a smooth person? So me trying to write flirting is absolutely outrageous. Hopefully, I didn’t take y’all out of the story too much with my attempts. 
> 
> Secondly? Picolo is a real app and it is dope. Up Chickens is originally (I believe) from The Office and is hilariously fun. I only briefly explained it in the chap because it’s the kind of game that you just need to play to understand, but you should look it up if you’re looking for a fun and simple drinking game! 
> 
> That’s all she wrote, for now, folks. Hopefully, inspiration will strike and the next chapter won't take as awfully long as this one did! If you’re still reading, I’d love to know what you thought or what you’d like to see happen next!
> 
> xoxo E


	5. Wake n' Bake n' Brunch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? An update? I know, I know, I'm shocked too. But this chapter actually came a lot easier than the last few, and I'm quite happy with it! I feel like it fully encapsulates the "everything sucks but we have each other" vibe that I've been going for (and needing in my life, let's be honest). And we get some Cheryl backstory in this one! So hopefully y'all are here for that :)
> 
> Also? We've deviated from my inane title alliteration trend, but it still has three parts so I've decided it's okay :D 
> 
> As always, this story is completely un-beta’d so all mistakes are mine. I also own nothing to do with this show, I simply like writing the characters! Now, on with the show!

Balancing several reusable grocery bags along her arms, Betty walked into the house to find Kevin sprawled out in the living room, a computer in his lap and carrot sticks within easy reach. When he noticed her entrance, he jumped up to help with the bags and the two unpacked the plethora of snacks to mild greetings and chatter. Midway through, Betty pointed upstairs and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Kevin shook his head. “She’s not home yet.”

“Do you have any idea why she called this roomie night?” Betty asked with a frown. While the three of them ended up spending many evenings together sans significant others out of pure happenstance, they typically only called ‘roomie nights’ when they were in serious need of comfort. After collectively experiencing all the highs and lows that came with leaving home for the first time, they had become well versed in each other’s coping mechanisms, and there was something doubly comforting about not needing to explain what you needed in those low moments.

For Betty, who often got stuck in her head and pushed her feelings to the side, their nights involved baking something slightly more labour intensive like cinnamon rolls or layer cakes, maybe doing yoga together, then getting high and watching movies that they could all sob to while they ate their creations.

Kevin’s nights could go either one of two ways. If he was feeling overstimulated from being surrounded by drama and music all day at the theatre, then they would have a quiet night in, playing cards or watching a comedy by candlelight and snuggling on the couch. If, on the other hand, he was needing an emotional outlet, then they would dress up in wigs and feather boas and dance around the house belting show tunes for as long as they could manage.

And for their dearest Cheryl, who tended to stick to a strict eating and exercise regimen, her roomie nights involved copious amounts of junk food, smoking lots of weed, and participating in some sort of creative activity like painting, drawing, puzzle making, or even papier machée. Between the three of them, they always had a variety of art supplies on hand, so it was easy enough to pick a medium without too much forethought.

“All I know is that she’s talked on the phone with Jason a few times this week, so I’m assuming it has something to do with her parents.”

“Oh shit,” Betty’s eyes widened. “Then it’s a good thing I got the ice cream _and_ the queso dip.” She took a quick survey of their snacks before opening the pantry cupboard. “Should I make a quick batch of cookies too? We could make homemade ice cream sandwiches?”

Kevin chuckled lightly at how quickly Betty transitioned into Mom-Mode™. “That is entirely up to you, Betts. I’m sure Cheryl would appreciate your cookies, but you also picked up more than enough store-bought snacks for the evening.”

She scoffed and began pulling out ingredients. “Kevin, you know as well as I do that no amount of snacks is enough if Penelope and Clifford Blossom are involved.”

Kevin’s head tilted to the side as he considered this. “Cookies it is then!” he smiled. “How can I help?”

Betty knew she had made the right decision when Cheryl walked in an hour later, took one watery-eyed look at the cooling rack covered in cookies, and hugged Betty tightly.

* * *

Later, after they had eaten their fill of snacks (for now), smoked several bowls of a nice Indica heavy hybrid, and gathered a variety of drawing implements, the trio sat on the ground around the table in the living room drawing.

Kevin and Betty knew better than to push Cheryl to talk about what was bothering her—she would share when she was good and ready. Instead, they had put the band Crumb on shuffle, started drawing, and kept the conversation light. They knew their familiar camaraderie would eventually soothe Cheryl’s frayed nerves enough so she could open up to them. At the moment, Kevin was ranting about _Dawson’s Creek_ , the teen drama he was currently in the middle of re-watching.

“It really irks me that in television there are only two options for romantic physicality: making out, or sex.” The girls nodded along as Kevin’s volume grew. “Not only does it set up ridiculous expectations, but it completely invalidates all forms of sex that aren’t heteronormative penetrative sex!”

“I suppose it would be more difficult to write, let alone show, other aspects of sex, but you’re completely right, Kev,” Betty added, putting down her pencil to engage fully in the conversation. “There are hardly ever any storylines devoted to people exploring and learning each other’s bodies. It’s all or nothing.”

“Like…I don’t know about you two,” Kevin continued, waving his marker around as he spoke, “but working my way up to penetrative sex made me way more comfortable with the experience, and made it that much more pleasurable because by then I knew what my body needed to feel good.” He sighed. “I worry that teens watch these shows and don’t realize all the other options that are out there.” 

Cheryl, who had been half paying attention the whole time, lost in her thoughts as she was, eventually added in her two cents. “ _Dawson’s Creek_ was way ahead of its time in some aspects, and I do appreciate how much they try to normalize getting comfortable talking about sex and how it’s completely okay to wait until you’re ready…but there are also a hundred ways they could’ve done better. Starting with Dawson himself,” she raised a challenging eyebrow.

“Oh, don’t get me _started_ on Dawson,” Kevin exclaimed. “We’ll be here all night if I start ranting about that particular subject!” Cheryl laughed but acquiesced.

“Fair enough,” Betty agreed. “More snacks, anyone?” She asked, already shifting to her feet to head to the kitchen.

Cheryl stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm. “Actually, Betty Boop, can more snacks wait a minute?” Betty settled back in with a nod and a smile, reaching to cover Cheryl’s hand with her own.

“Jason wants me to come visit,” she blurted. Betty and Kevin shared a look at the frown that had taken up residence on their favourite redhead’s face. Cheryl had come out to her family shortly after graduating from high school, and while her twin brother was mostly accepting (if not necessarily understanding), her parents were most definitely not. The summer that followed was filled with verbal, emotional, and physical abuse. Penelope had even gone so far as to send her to a ‘home for troubled youths’ for a few days before Jason found out and demanded Cheryl be brought home.

During her first year at Western, Cheryl went home a few times out of a warped sense of obligation and to see Jason, but she always returned feeling dejected, exhausted, and like she was the size of a grape that Penelope could easily squash under her stiletto. Eventually, with encouragement from Betty and Kevin, Cheryl called her parents and told them that if they bought her a house in London then she would have no reason to come home anymore. To them, a house was a small price to pay for being rid of their ‘abomination of a daughter’, so they agreed and bought the first listing that Cheryl sent their way.

Since then, other than a trip with Betty, Kevin, and a U-Haul to pack up as much of her stuff from Thornhill as they could get in one trip, Cheryl hadn’t been home. Jason had come to visit a few times, and they talked on the phone every so often, but Cheryl found it difficult to connect with him these days, so entrenched in the family business as he was.

“As in he wants to you to go to Thornhill?” Betty clarified.

“Yes,” Cheryl sighed. “He said Penelope and Clifford have been asking about me lately, and that he wants me to come home to hear them out.”

Kevin’s eyebrows shot into his hairline. “What are you thinking?” He asked gently.

“Honestly? I think that’s a load of bullshit,” Cheryl’s rage, often simmering just below the surface when it came to her family, started bubbling over. “I think they need something from me…a signature or something along those lines most likely, and that Jason is too naive to see that they have completely written me out of their lives otherwise.”

Betty entwined her fingers with Cheryl’s. “You don’t have to go, Cher. I know you love Jason, but I also don’t think he fully understands what he’s asking of you.” Cheryl stared hard at the table in front of her, blinking quickly, and grasping Betty’s hand tightly as she took a deep breath to calm herself down.

“And you know that we would go with you if you decided you did want to go,” Kevin added. Cheryl cracked a wry smile at that.

“A part of me would love to show up, hand in hand with Toni, with you two and Jughead…hell, even with Fangs and Sweet Pea in tow…just to see the look on their faces. To show them that even though they want nothing to do with me, that I found a family who accepts me and knows how to love. A real family.” With a watery smile, Kevin shifted over to grab Cheryl’s other hand and squeezed, nodding at her to continue. “But I don’t think it would make a difference.”

“You know I’m all for second chances,” Betty started, “but I think you might be right on this one. I wish they could see you the way we do, Cher.” She leaned her head down on Cheryl’s shoulder as she went on. “This fierce, loving, beautiful, ray of light. But that Penelope can be a real stubborn…” she trailed off, not quite knowing how to finish without offending.

“Bitch.” Kevin finished for her, nodding firmly.

“Kevin!” Betty gasped, sitting up straight again. But Kevin’s flair for the dramatic never failed to make Cheryl laugh, and soon she was giggling along with him at the look on Betty’s face.

“Oh don’t be so shocked, Betty-kins. She might be my mother, but Keller’s right, she’s a real bitch.”

Betty shook her head fondly at her two best friends. “Well, whatever you decide to do, Cheryl. We’re here for you.”

“Always, and no matter what,” Kevin added, smiling. 

Though she still didn’t know what she wanted to do, confiding in her best friends never failed to make Cheryl’s heart feel a little lighter. She loved her brother deeply, but he didn’t understand her the way her friends did. He didn’t understand that asking her to come home was asking her to return to a place she had never felt accepted or even safe. Where, instead, she had felt suffocated, isolated, and trapped. It wasn’t until she got out of that house of horrors that she had been able to find her footing and begin the journey towards accepting herself exactly as she was.

There were options, Cheryl thought. Maybe she could go to Toronto to hear them out but not stay at Thornhill. Or if it was that important, maybe they could come to London, where at least she would have the advantage of being in her city, where she felt most comfortable. Or hell, maybe she would just ignore them. _Lord knows it’s what they deserve_ , she thought bitterly. But either way, she wouldn’t have to do it alone.

With that thought, she stamped a red kiss on her friend’s cheeks. “I love you both,” she whispered.

“Oh, Cher,” Betty wrapped her arms around the redhead. “We love you too.”

“So fucking much,” Kevin added to soft laughter.

“Now,” Betty pulled back, eyes glinting. “I know I mentioned homemade ice cream sandwiches earlier…but I just remembered that we have some pot brownies in the freezer. What do you think about taking the ice cream, the cookies, the brownies, and whatever fruit we can find in the fridge, and making ice cream sundaes?”

“I think that you, Betty Cooper, are an angel on earth,” Cheryl replied.

Sometime after the brownies had kicked in and the trio were sitting in a hair braiding train, watching a rom-com on Netflix, Kevin suddenly sat up a little straighter.

“Oh my god, I think I just had a #BettyBrainBaby,” he said in a hushed, almost reverent tone, fingers still deftly braiding Betty’s hair.

“Kev,” Cheryl rolled her eyes from her spot between Betty’s legs, careful not to move her head and disturb Betty’s braiding. “I don’t think anyone but Betty can have a Betty Brain Baby™.”

“Oh hush it, you,” Kevin scoffed. “Betty, my love, when you were fishing around the freezer for the brownies, did you happen to notice if we had any breakfast sausages?”

Betty grinned, nodding, knowing immediately where this was going. “We most certainly do.”

Cheryl perked up. “Hell. Yes. Wake n’ Bake n’ Brunch?!”

“Wake n’ Bake n’ Brunch,” they chorused back in agreement.

Cheryl settled back into place, a smile on her face. _God, my friends are the best._

* * *

Despite how late the trio had stayed up indulging in food and friendship the night before, Betty still woke up at her regular hour. Knowing that it would be a while before her roommates got up, she decided to get a start on her day. She called her sister, Polly, while she drank her morning tea, did an hour of yoga and mediation, and took some time to look for songs to add to her latest playlist before deciding that it was time to start on brunch.

The soft sounds and smells of cooking would soon wake up her roommates, so she started a pot of coffee, got out their favourite mugs, and rolled a couple of joints to have ready when they eventually arrived in the kitchen. Sure enough, Kevin joined her with a grateful smile five minutes later, and Cheryl with a still sleepy hug ten minutes after that. Betty had cubed up some potatoes that were now softly boiling and was just about finished her crêpe batter by the time the caffeine started hitting their system and they were ready to engage.

“So, what’s the plan, Betty-kins?” Cheryl questioned from her spot at the island, holding her warm mug of coffee tightly.

“Well,” Betty started thoughtfully, “I was thinking that we could make breakfast wraps with crêpes as the actual wrap part? And fill them with eggs, sausage, avocado, and cheese. And I started on some home-fries as well, so those could either go in the wrap or we could just have them on the side. Or you can have all the elements separate, of course!” She paused at the smirk that had taken over Cheryl’s face. “What? Did I go overboard again?”

“Absolutely not, Betty Boop. That sounds like perfection.” She took in Betty’s grateful smile before continuing. “I was just having one of those moments where I bask in your glory and wonder what I did to deserve such a Goddess in my life.”

Betty blushed, “Oh stop it, Cher.”

Kevin laughed. “She’s not kidding, Betts. We have these moments, what…” he turned to Cheryl, “…like once a day?”

She nodded, “Oh, at least. We’ve discussed our adoration for you at length.”

“You two are ridiculous,” Betty shook her head, laughing.

“Mmhmm,” Kevin hummed. “Now,” he clapped, “what can we do to help?”

Happy that the topic was off of her, Betty pointed a finger at Kevin. “You, sir, can start on the sausages. And you,” she turned to point her finger at Cheryl, “can drain the potatoes after you spark up that joint and pass it around.”

“Aye aye, Captain!” they saluted before getting up to tend to their assigned tasks. Betty turned the music she had been playing up with a smile and got back to work on her crêpes.

When Toni and Jughead arrived an hour later, the trio was sitting around the kitchen island chatting away, their brunch long gone, having been scarfed down quickly in their stoned state.

“Good morning, my beauties!” Toni called, letting herself in. She immediately made her way into the kitchen, arms outstretched, to embrace Cheryl.

“Morning all,” Jughead chimed in, kissing Betty and blowing Kevin a kiss as he settled himself at the island.

“Please, eat some of this delicious brunch Betty made!” Kevin exclaimed, “If we continue to sit here I’m going to continue to eat it.”

“It’s even better with weed,” Cheryl added, sliding a joint towards Toni, who didn’t hesitate to light it immediately.

After the joint had been passed around, and Toni and Jughead had made themselves a heaping plate of food each, Cheryl cleared her throat.

“So I was up half the night thinking about what I want to do about this parental situation.” Toni hummed sympathetically, obviously having been filled in by Cheryl at some point, and Betty squeezed Jughead’s arm to let him know she’d explain later if need be. “And I think you were right, Betty-kins. As much as I love Jason, what he’s asking isn’t fair.”

The group nodded their agreement. “So you’re not going to go?” Betty questioned.

“No.” Toni wrapped an arm around Cheryl’s waist from her spot beside her. “I cut them out of my life for a reason. And as much as I wish Jason wasn’t so thoroughly brainwashed, I can accept that his relationship with them is much different from what mine was, which was nothing but toxic.”

Betty and Kevin shared a look at that. _What an understatement_. Over the years Cheryl had told countless stories from her childhood, and while her parents had been nothing but abusive towards her, they borderline worshipped her twin brother, even before Cheryl came out.

“So, I’m going to call Jason and tell him that I’m not interested in whatever those two monsters have to say. Furthermore,” she continued, voice rising in passion and volume, “if they have something to say to me, then they can reach out themselves! No more using Jason to try and manipulate me into talking to them.”

She finished her spiel to grins and cheers of “yes, girl!”, “set those boundaries!”, and “amen!” from her favourite humans. Cheryl hadn’t been 100% sure of her choice until she heard her friends add their support, but she let out a sigh of relief when their reactions confirmed it for her.

“I wholeheartedly support this decision,” Kevin said, grabbing Cheryl’s hand.

“Me too,” Toni added. “You’ve gotta do what’s right for you, Babe. And just because Jason loves you, doesn’t mean he knows what that is.”

Cheryl smiled around at the group. “Thank you for always being so supportive. Even you, my dear Lughead,” she laughed lightly.

“You know I’ve always got your back, Red,” he replied, winking at her as he got up to get a second helping of food.

The emotional outpouring seemed to have renewed Cheryl’s appetite, so everyone followed Jughead’s lead and refilled their plates. As they sat around the kitchen island, laughing and eating, Betty pulled out her phone to take a candid picture of the group. She wouldn’t post it anywhere (she was sure Cheryl and Kevin wouldn’t approve of how they looked in it anyways) but she liked having photos of happy memories to look back on. And this moment with these people, smiles wide, eyes heavy from the weed, delicious food covering the table, was definitely a happy one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, friends, I clearly have a lot of thoughts on Dawson's Creek. I've been watching it during quarantine and apparently what I had to say needed to be included here! I'm not even sorry. 
> 
> Also? If you haven't wake n' bake n' brunched, you're totally missing out. My partner and I do this at least every other weekend. We are a brunch household through and through. 
> 
> Times are tough, y'all, but hopefully this cozy, supportive friend group is a bit of a reprieve from the shit show that is the world right now! 
> 
> I'd love to know what you thought!  
> xoxo E


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